Box or case.



UNITED STATES Patented November 10, 1903.

PATENT "OFFICE,

JULIUS NEVELSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WILBER ElFARRINGTON, TRUSTEE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOX OR CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,747, dated November10, 1903. Application filed March 25, 1902. Renewed December 26, 1902.Serial No. 136,732. Clio model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J ULIUS NEvELsoN, of Boston, in the county ofSnfiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Boxes or Cases, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved contrivance foremployment in connection with jewelry boxes, eyeglasscases, or otherreceptacles formed with two members pivoted together, said contrivancebeing for the purpose of yieldingly holding the said members in eitheropen or closed position.

The invention consists, essentially, of a receptacle such as describedand a spring-clip bent in the form of a curve, with hooked ends engagingthe said members near their hinge and when said members are parallel (aswhen r they are closed) the said ends will be inside of the said pintleor pivot, so that the force or tension of the spring acting on one sideor the other of the said pivot or pintle will operate to hold the saidmembers open or'closed, as the case may be.-

Preferably the spring-cli p is so constructed as to engage the membersat or near its middle when the said members are open, and thereby form astop for limiting the extent to which the said members may be opened. Inorder to secure the said spring-clip to the said members, each is formedwith an inwardlyprojecting tongue, over which the hooked ends of theclip may be sprung, said ends projecting sufficiently into the apertureleft by the formation of the tongues to prevent the lateral movement ofthe clip without the said ends projecting entirely through the saidmembers to form a bunch or projection on the exterior of the saidmembers.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents inperspective view an uncovered jewelry-case embodying the invention. Fig.2 represents a section on the line2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents anenlarged section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, showing the box open. Fig. 4represents the box closed.

On the said drawings two members of the box or case are indicated at aand 5, respectively. The shape of these members is immaterial and may bevaried to suit the nature of the articles or things that are to beplaced in the case. Preferably the said mem hers are stamped out ofsheet metal. The exterior and interior of the members may be coveredwith a suitable material, such as leather, velvet, or othersuitable formof covering. The walls a, b of the members are formed with the hingedmembers, through which the pintle c is passed to pivotally connect thesaid members together. When the case is closed, the walls a h are inalinement, as indicated in Fig. 4:; but when the case is open the wall ais substantially at an.

angle of ninety degrees to the wall I). The spring member is indicatedas a whole at d. It is curved in the direction of its lengthsubstantially in the shape of the side of an ellipse, and its ends d dare booked, as shown. The walls a b are formed with inwardlybent tonguesa 19 respectively, leaving apertures or slots a 6 into which the hookedends d of the spring member 01 may be passed, the hooks taking over thetongues (L 12 as shown in Fig. 3.

It will be observed that the hooked ends of the spring member are soformed that when they enter the slots a b they do not project beyond theouter surface of the walls 0; b, and consequently when the case issubsequently covered there is no projection or bunch, as there would beif the ends were permitted to pass entirely through the slots a? andtake over the outer surface of the said walls.

Preferably the tongue (1 is formed ,somewhat nearer the pintle :2 thanthe tongue b and the spring member is flattened a trifle at 1 so as tolie fairly close to the wall I). It

will be understood, however, from this description that when the memberais moved from a closed position, as shown in Fig. 4, gradually to openposition the spring member will be gradually elongated until the hookedends 01 are in alinement with the pintle 0, during which time thetendency of the spring will be to close-the box. As soon, however, asthe line connecting the hooked ends passes beyond the pintle the springwill begin to shorten, and its tendency will be to open the membersuntil the opening movement is arrested by the engagement of the middle'por-.

tion of the clip with the edges of the Walls a b or with the hingemembers connecting the said walls. It will of course be understood thatas many of these spring members may be employed as is found necessary inthe construction of the box, as required by the size of the box or case.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, although without 'attempting to setforth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes ofits use, I declare that what I claim is- 1. The combination with a casecomprising two complemental members and a pintle connecting saidmembers, said members being provided with slots in their adjacent walls,and a spring consisting of a strip curved in the direction of its lengthandprovided at its ends with hooks adapted to enter said slots, saidmembers being constructed and arranged whereby said spring is adapted tohold the case member open or closed, the spring and case members beingconstructed to permit the middle portion of the spring to engage themeeting edges of the case members when opened, to limit the openingmovement thereof.

2. The combination with a case comprising two members and a pintleconnecting said members, of a contraction-spring consisting of aresilient metallic strip curved in the direction of its length, andmeans for securing the ends of said strip to said case membersrespectively on opposite sides of said pintle, whereby the contractionalresiliency of said spring in the direction of its length effects theholding of said case members in either open or closed position, thespring and case members being constructed to permit the middle portionof the spring to engage the meeting edges of the case members whenopened, to limit the opening movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

JULIUS NEVELSON.

Witnesses:

M. B. MAY, 0. C. STEOHER.

